Assess your key question for clinical psychology.
The key question is: What are the issues surrounding mental health in the workplace?
The mental health charity carried out a study into workplace wellbeing and found that poor mental health
at work is widespread with 48% of all people surveyed saying they have experienced a mental health
problem in their current job. In addition to this 1 in 5 people take a day from work because of mental
health and 1 in 10 resign due to job stress. The BBC reported that 11 million working days are lost each
year because of mental issues at work. Poor mental health in the workplace cost up to £26 billion a year.
It is argued that changing the environment at work and giving training to managers can be reduce
absences and improve productivity.
An issue of workers suffering with a mental health disorder, such as SZ is that they may experience
negative symptoms like social withdrawal which is according to the symptoms given by the DSM-5. For
example, they may take days off to avoid any social interaction or they may refuse to work in a group
leading to isolation. This will affect their relationships with their co-workers as well as their ability to work
effectively. By training the management and staff to understand mental disorders means support can be
given for those who need it such as having a quieter place to work in. This is important because it allows
them to not feel any stress due to contact with others (Faris, 1934). However, an issue with this, by
allowing separate places to work may make it worse as it allows more social isolation. Therefore, not
benefiting workers suffering with mental health.
Another issue with dealing with mental disorders in the workplace is prejudice. According to the campaign
“Time to Change”, 1000 organisations have signed the employees pledge which supports the Thrive Get
Work report which was built on a 5-year evidence-based intervention, research of the Time to Change
campaign team. This depolt has helped prevent potential prejudice and labels in the workplace. This is
significant because research by Fazil has shown the media had inaccurately portrayed people with mental
disorders as dangerous. However further studies have concluded that people are getting labelled of
mental disorders, regardless of whether they are diagnosed or not. Therefore, there is a negative impact
when applied to the workplace as prejudices and labels can affect productivity and well-being.
Furthermore, mental health in the workplace can affect productivity due to cognitive deficit. For example,
SZ patients may have difficulty in working due to lack of knowledge of coping mechanisms to combat
positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, which can disturb them working in a professional
environment that may lead them missing work, which impacts their performance and mental health. To
combat this, businesses could educate managers and other company divisions in accommodating
individuals by advising and also providing treatments such as CBT. However, this may not entirely
impactful as CBT has shown to not have a fully effective SZ treatment.
In conclusion, there are issues that workplace could affect mental health of employees. An employee who
is suffering from disorders such as SZ may have social withdrawal and isolate themselves from work
leading g them to miss work and it would greatly affect their performance. Clinical psychologists can help
and provide guidance to companies on how to support their employees and making sure the workplace is
a safe and supporting environment for their workers such as having interventions and training about
mental health.
The key question is: What are the issues surrounding mental health in the workplace?
The mental health charity carried out a study into workplace wellbeing and found that poor mental health
at work is widespread with 48% of all people surveyed saying they have experienced a mental health
problem in their current job. In addition to this 1 in 5 people take a day from work because of mental
health and 1 in 10 resign due to job stress. The BBC reported that 11 million working days are lost each
year because of mental issues at work. Poor mental health in the workplace cost up to £26 billion a year.
It is argued that changing the environment at work and giving training to managers can be reduce
absences and improve productivity.
An issue of workers suffering with a mental health disorder, such as SZ is that they may experience
negative symptoms like social withdrawal which is according to the symptoms given by the DSM-5. For
example, they may take days off to avoid any social interaction or they may refuse to work in a group
leading to isolation. This will affect their relationships with their co-workers as well as their ability to work
effectively. By training the management and staff to understand mental disorders means support can be
given for those who need it such as having a quieter place to work in. This is important because it allows
them to not feel any stress due to contact with others (Faris, 1934). However, an issue with this, by
allowing separate places to work may make it worse as it allows more social isolation. Therefore, not
benefiting workers suffering with mental health.
Another issue with dealing with mental disorders in the workplace is prejudice. According to the campaign
“Time to Change”, 1000 organisations have signed the employees pledge which supports the Thrive Get
Work report which was built on a 5-year evidence-based intervention, research of the Time to Change
campaign team. This depolt has helped prevent potential prejudice and labels in the workplace. This is
significant because research by Fazil has shown the media had inaccurately portrayed people with mental
disorders as dangerous. However further studies have concluded that people are getting labelled of
mental disorders, regardless of whether they are diagnosed or not. Therefore, there is a negative impact
when applied to the workplace as prejudices and labels can affect productivity and well-being.
Furthermore, mental health in the workplace can affect productivity due to cognitive deficit. For example,
SZ patients may have difficulty in working due to lack of knowledge of coping mechanisms to combat
positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, which can disturb them working in a professional
environment that may lead them missing work, which impacts their performance and mental health. To
combat this, businesses could educate managers and other company divisions in accommodating
individuals by advising and also providing treatments such as CBT. However, this may not entirely
impactful as CBT has shown to not have a fully effective SZ treatment.
In conclusion, there are issues that workplace could affect mental health of employees. An employee who
is suffering from disorders such as SZ may have social withdrawal and isolate themselves from work
leading g them to miss work and it would greatly affect their performance. Clinical psychologists can help
and provide guidance to companies on how to support their employees and making sure the workplace is
a safe and supporting environment for their workers such as having interventions and training about
mental health.
